The Auld Alliance - Corman Collins Caroni 1998

 Tasting evening at Dr. Django and thanks to "mto" for this souvenir 😉. This is a consistently good Caroni with the expected profile, but a little too tame overall! The aromas from dirt to red fruit are all there, but seem a bit "sweet"! It lacks the top after all

 all the typical markers are present, just not as complex or brute as other representatives from the house. I attribute this to the fact that he spent a large part of his maturity in a continental climate. Overall, quite round and rather 'fruit-driven' for a Caroni.

 Typical Caroni profile is perfectly mixed up with round notes like vanilla or banana leading to a nice balance ! Alcohol is perfectly integrated on both nose and palate. Super elegant profile despite the sharp notes of leather and wood. Definitely a great rum 😋

 Alcohol not well integrated

 This is a rather unpleasant atonal accumulation of flavours that bring along one of the worst alcohol integration I had in a htr caroni. It is not particularly bad in one instance, together it just doesn't work

 An average Caroni that focuses on the workshop notes. It comes across as quite mild to watery. Overall, it lacks some complexity.

 Pleasing Caroni, which unfortunately lacks a bit of complexity. Interesting are the fruity-sour notes that join the classic Caroni profile. Unfortunately, there is not much more noteworthy beyond that. The age is noticeable in a positive sense, wood and spice are recognizable, but for the highest consecrations it lacks a bit of variety on the palate. Nevertheless, a good rum, but the bar is clearly too high for an entry in the top range at Caroni.

 Very minty and leathery Caroni..both on the nose and palate it is not very dirty, although the distinctive traits of Caroni are there (Fusel oil, tar, some vague tropical fruits). On the palate, it is more peppery, warm and woody. Finish il long, dry and bitter, with more wood and leather. All in all, a solid Caroni!

 Pas mal du tout , superbe surprise. C’est très bon, avec les marqueurs classiques de cette distillerie 🤩😍

 Don’t be afraid of “bicycle tube” “solvent”... this is a really elegant rum, upsetting tastes but everything at its place,

 Nice Caroni with some of the typical industrial notes, but a bit thin and lacking power. Instead a nice fruityness develops over time. A weaker example of the 1998 vintage.

 Haaa, le nez se met en place. C'est la version bien sale de Caroni : cuir, kérosène, pneus brûlés. Mais avec un profil plus boisé amer que d'accoutumé et des épices. C'est plus solvanté. En bouche, c'est costaud (et pourtant nous en sommes au 9ème verre de la soirée). On retrouve du boisé fumé-toasté ! Il y a de la prune, des raisins secs, du tabac, de la mangue en arrière-plan. Mais cela maque de gourmandise. La finale est longue, très beurrée et astringente. Le nez était sympa mais la bouche manque de gourmandise. Il ne me procure pas suffisamment de plaisir, surtout au tarif des Caroni !!!! Probablement que j'en attends trop de cette provenance ...